The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with Barrett’s syndrome and gastroparesis due to potential legal errors in previous decisions.
The deciding factor: The Court found that the Board erred in relying on medical opinions which employed the incorrect legal standard pertaining to aggravation, requiring addendum opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with Barrett’s syndrome, gastroparesis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20066923
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20066923.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty at Fort McClellan. The Board also found support for secondary service connection for diabetic neuropathy of various extremities, peripheral vascular disease, and gastroparesis as secondary to DM.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU for accrued benefits purposes is granted, and the initial compensable rating for his service-connected back scar is denied. The claims of higher ratings for lumbar spine disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorders, radiculopathies of the upper and lower extremities, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, COPD, GERD, gastroparesis, diverticulosis, rhinitis, OSA, left ankle disorder, and left foot disorder have been granted. The claims are based on presumptive service connection due to exposure to noise during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special home adaptation as defined by VA regulations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.